2018 has arrived! A whole new year tends to mean a whole new beginning. We get to wipe away 2017, and start fresh with our goals and resolutions.

What are your Green Goals for this year? We polled some of our employees and they have some great goals and suggestions for living more green in 2018. Ranging from the simplest solution to begin recycling, to a full on water re purposing system, our participants shed some great light on ideas for how to live green in the coming year.

Here are just a few ideas from our employees on greening up your year!

Air dry your clothes instead of using the dryer. Not only does it save you money on energy, but the clothes will last longer too.

Drive less- instead walk, bike, take public transit, car pool, etc.

Plant a garden and go organic.

Host a green potluck in the summer months where each person brings in a dish made with food from their gardens.

Select an organization and contribute to the organization through work. (For example, have the local boy scout troop collect and recycle your paper)

Go wild at work. If you have an open or unused outdoor space near your work, encourage colleagues to create a wild space there. Native plants might factor into your plan.

Adjust your electronics. Set them on a timer or a schedule to be off when you are not home (lights, heat. etc) The same goes for the office – set up systems to ensure lights, heat and other electronics are off or in sleep mode while not in use.

Use water to your advantage – develop a system that recycles and stores rainwater to be used in your home or work. Rain collection systems can be made from something as simple as rain barrels at the downspouts, to a more extensive system.

Reusable water bottles for all employees to reduce on the waste in the office.

So again, I ask, What are your Green Goals for this year? Going green in your daily life can be as simple as recycling the water bottle or as intensive as electric cars and more.

At PFB, we believe in a sustainable future, and work daily to maintain our sustainable initiative. Join us in our daily efforts to be greener and cleaner!

Energy efficiency becomes a key component to meet the energy demand increase, and ways to address this such as providing measures to improve on the energy efficiency of buildings is a positive sign. Environment friendly Zero energy buildings which produces as much energy as it consumes has shown growth in recent years. The article mentions that according to a new report from Navigant Research, global Zero net building (ZEB) revenue is expected to grow from $629.3 million in 2014 to $1.4 trillion by 2035.

As more laws and guidelines are being implemented by countries such as the United States and Japan to ensure buildings are energy efficient, the article also stressed more action from the government notably from developing nations.

In support for energy efficient buildings

Companies such as PFB Corporation are committed to conduct operations that affect environmental and social concerns. Environmental conservation has always been their top priority as reflected in their practices, products and processes, including energy efficient buildings.

Insulspan is an excellent choice to construct energy efficient buildings because of its energy efficiency features and ability to reduce energy consumption in buildings. Insulspan’s sustainable system and its ability to withstand natural disasters better than other construction methods makes it a top option for energy efficient buildings.

“Proof Not Promises” is a category of GE’s Customer Awards that are given to companies they have worked with based on successfully implementing efficiency improvements.

The award was presented to Plasti-Fab after Dan Mooney, Chief Steam Engineer of its Polymer Plant had worked with GE in the reduction of utilizing the “Steamate” condensate corrosion inhibitor for the Moulding Plant Boiler by more than 75%.

With the help of a GE representative, Polymer Plant staff and employees, a chemical addition reduction initiative targeted at steam condensate return piping amine in the Crossfield Block Moulding Plant was completed. Amines are added to the steam systems to coat iron piping and prevent corrosion. Amines are the most expensive component of a boiler water treatment system.

The goal of this initiative was to add controls in order to optimize the addition to the required points which reduces the consumption to the minimum amount required in achieving piping protection.

Not only has the Amine consumption in the system reduced dramatically over the 3 month evaluation period without sacrifice of the piping protection, it also produced annual operational savings in the range to $9,000 to $10,000.

Since 2009, the Frank’s Green Speak blog has been providing readers with content on sustainability that helps raise awareness on the well-being of the environment. Our mission to provide customers with energy efficient products and applications reflect our conscious efforts towards this goal.

In a period where diligence for environmental health has improved significantly along with the recent developments unfolding in the organization, we deemed it time to move to a new direction which would benefit readers of the blog. We aim to continue providing informative and relevant content which is focused not just on environmental issues and ecological footprint but also providing articles on ways to improve the environment as a whole.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS)

Reduce Global Warming

Life Cycle Benefits of SIPS

The basic design concept for SIPS is elegant in its simplicity, and offers several advantages for constructing walls and roofs. There is general agreement that SIPS provide better overall air tightness and practical thermal performance than conventionally framed walls.

– NAHB Research Center

SIPS Environmental Advantage

By providing substantial energy savings and critical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the energy invested in the production and delivery of SIPS yields an exponential benefit to the environment, when compared to traditional stick framing.

The exceptional performance of SIPS as an insulator coupled with low air leakage for the built environment offers the construction industry the tools and technology needed to achieve superior thermal performance while making a significant and restorative contribution to the reduction of global warming.

An untrained eye would have a hard time seeing what’s different about the house being built at the corner of Linfield Drive and Aberdeen Way.

To those in the know, however, the level-entry rancher is the cutting edge of a new wave of high-tech home construction, using new methods and materials that could make traditional dimensional lumber framing a thing of the past.

Blissfield, Michigan, November 8, 2010 — Blissfield-based Structural Insulating Panel System home manufacturer Insulspan, Incorporated received a national home building accolade with its Lakeside Green Cottage, capturing First Place, Green building using SIPs in the 2011 BSC Excellence in Home Design and Marketing Awards program. The honor was awarded by the Building Systems Councils (BSC) of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)—a trade association that represents the concrete, log, modular, and panelized building system industries—at their annual awards program on November 8, 2010.

Sponsored by the NAHB Building Systems Councils, the BSC Excellence in Marketing and Home Design Awards has promoted excellence in the systems-built housing industry for more than ten years. All winners were announced at an awards luncheon in New Orleans, held in conjunction with the BSC SHOWCASE event—the leading trade show and conference based centered on the systems-built housing industry. Home manufacturers, builders and industry associates were among the groups recognized.

“This year’s award winners like Insulspan, Incorporated prove that despite a sluggish housing market, the systems-built industry is raising the bar in residential marketing and home design concepts,” said BSC Chairman Vic DePhillips, a modular manufacturer from Moosic, Pa. “Our award winners are adding credibility to their businesses and shedding a positive light on the building systems industry as a whole.”

The annual BSC Excellence Awards are judged by a panel of industry experts and companies like Insulspan were given praise for the quality of their submittals. The Lakeside Green Cottage is a model of sustainable construction that maintains the design & character of its historic community.

“It is truly an honor for the Lakeside Green Cottage to receive the BSC Excellence Award for Green Building with SIPs,” said Frank Baker, Lakeside Cottage Homeowner and PFB Board member “At Insulspan, we strive to provide innovative, practical housing solutions using systems-built technologies. This award shows the hard work and vision of Insulspan dedicated employees. It is a proud day for them.

Awardees were recognized for excellence in achievement in several marketing and design categories and covered a range of concrete, log, modular and panelized homes.
There were scores of entries submitted for award categories ranging from Outstanding Model/Sales Center, to Presentation of Home Plans and Best Web site.

Award winners were announced to a crowd of nearly 200 systems-built industry professionals at the awards luncheon. Winners received plaques to commemorate their efforts. They will be featured in upcoming editions of NAHB’s e-newspaper, Nation’s Building News. Some projects will also be on display on the BSC Awards Wall at the 2011 International Builders’ Show in Orlando.

ABOUT THE BSC: The Building Systems Councils of the National Association of Home Builders is made up of manufacturing, builder, and associate members who advocate building with systems. Systems-built homes are constructed with concrete, log, modular, or panelized systems. They are constructed to the same code standards and reflect the same, and often enhanced, quality levels as any site-built construction. The advantage of systems-building is it’s done in a fraction of the time, with a fraction of the waste, reducing costly weather exposure. Many systems-built homes are inherently “green,” adding an environmentally friendly label to the product.

ABOUT NAHB: The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 175,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. NAHB is affiliated with 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB’s builder members will construct about 80 percent of the new housing units projected for 2010.